Three of my sewing students come alone. There used to be other kids on those days but sports have commandeered their afternoons. So I help one child at a time.

They don't need constant attention so we sit elbow to elbow and I work too. I have one project that is baffling me. I need to widen the shoulders on a shirt. Making clothes smaller is a cinch. Enlarging them is not. I keep trying.
The other day I played with a vent, or some kind of pleat right at the seam. I haven't solved it yet. In between rethreading the machine for my student, and pinning seams  I fiddle. Being with them forces me to work on projects I could otherwise neglect. Plus it is pleasant sewing side by side. We chat about school and snow and what happened last weekend. When my chickens escape we laugh at them as they cross the street.

Another marriage group kicked in this week. We talked about what we appreciate about our partner and delved into a discussion about kindness. The folks in the chairs on either side of us tailor their own marriages. John and I adjust ours.

I like to pretend that he and I would spend the two hours on relationship mending even if no one else came. But that would not be truthful.